Who is Mary Smith?: The Sorting Hat Malfunction
by FreakyInker
Summary: When a new student arrives at Hogwarts, there is no reason to believe that she is any different from the other fourth years. But can what starts out as a sorting glitch turn into a…revolution? Canon to start, Snape POV. See inside for full description.


Who is Mary Smith?

Severus finds himself asking this question far too often of late.

To all outward appearances she is a completely normal young girl. Equally annoying - possibly more - but wholly ordinary. _Her name is Mary Smith, for Merlin's sake!_ It doesn't get a whole lot more normal than that.

But if she's so ordinary, how is it that the Sorting Hat can't place her? That Fawks is so taken with her? And that Luna Lovegood has taken to following her around like a puppy?

Of course, if that were all, Severus could ignore her as he does every other student. However, for a man whose life depends on his ability to read and understand those around him, he cannot make hide nor tail of the pint-sized schoolgirl. And so he finds himself wondering - is she sincere, or is she, too, a master manipulator?

And if the latter is true, what game is she playing?

Little Mary really is quite contrary…and who she _really_ is - the secret that brought her to Hogwarts - is enough to baffle even the most effective spy.

So what do you get when you mix suspicion, intrigue, adventure and….way down the road…a little romance?

A damn good story, that's what!

**All Character's Belong to JK Rowling, Except for the Ones Who Don't.**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**New Beginnings and Dark Incidents**

"It's getting darker."

Albus Dumbledore's twinkling eyes dimmed briefly behind his half-moon glasses as he consider the words of his potion master.

_It's getting darker._

Outside the moon was waxing, casting a soft, silver light across the grounds. The lake was calm, the leaves on the trees remained undisturbed, yet just beyond the surface was turbulence - unseen, but Severus could feel it churning beneath the quiet.

The headmaster leaned across his desk, tugging his beard thoughtfully, following Severus' gaze to peer out the window. "And you say this began…"

"The mark has become more visible since the World Cup…_incident_."

Severus Snape closed his eyes and slid the long sleeve of his robes up to reveal the once nearly faded Dark Mark, presenting it hesitantly to his colleague. It was not something that he did lightly. His Dark Mark was one of his greatest regrets and showing it, even to someone who already knew of its existence, made the extremely private man feel more than a little vulnerable.

And the hushed gasp from one of the portraits didn't help.

Severus' eyes popped open, dark pools flashing, and the past Headmasters wisely went back to feigning sleep.

Dumbledore gazed over the exposed Mark briefly before leaning back. The twinkle was back in his eyes and he offered Severus a reassuring smile. "I suspect that we will know soon what this means…and I certainly have my suspicions...but until then, I do not recommend fretting. Worry is such a useless emotion."

Settling comfortably back in his chair, the old wizard nodded at his own words. "Yes, worry is such a waste. Hope, on the other hand…Well, we can all use a little more hope." With that he chuckled, though Severus had no idea why.

Snapping his sleeve back down, Severus rose from his seat. He hadn't exactly expected the Headmaster to know the precise reason for the resurfacing of his Mark, but he had anticipated more than worthless platitudes.

He should have known better.

"Worry seems infinitely more useful in my opinion. Worry leads to preparation. Hope?" Snape snorted the word as though it was unpleasant on his tongue. "Hope only leads to disappointment."

Dumbledore looked as though he were prepared to argue, but at that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Severus squared his shoulders and glared menacingly in the direction of the intrusion, tugging at his sleeve even though it was already well in place.

Who would possibly want to see the Headmaster at this hour? Besides Severus' himself, that is.

"Enter." Dumbledore said, pushing himself up from his seat, jovial expression back and all hints of the previous subject abandoned.

The door to the office swung inward to reveal Hagrid and a diminutive girl who nearly disappeared next to the monstrously sized groundskeeper.

Severus didn't recognize her and nearly questioned who she was when he remembered a brief comment that Albus had made at the last staff meeting about a visiting student.

The staff meeting before the beginning of the year; before the World Cup; before Servus' world was once again disrupted by a sickening resurgence of evil.

Had that really only been three weeks before?

"Beggin' your pardon, Professor Dumbledore, but 'ere is the student yeh asked me to collect."

He placed a massive hand on the girl's back, gently prodding her forward. She took two small steps into the room; large, cerulean eyes moving curiously around the fire-lit office.

Behind Albus' desk, Fawk's soft trill filled the room, apparently in welcome of the newcomer, and despite himself, Severus felt his soul lift.

Too bad the reaction could not last; Severus could do with a little soulful joy - whether affected or not.

The girl, too, seemed to appreciate the song, though when her eyes came to rest on the phoenix she didn't seem too surprised to see him there. She did, however, incline her head in his direction – a simple greeting which caused the bird to fluff its brilliant plume.

A portrait cleared its throat as the song ebbed, and her eyes moved smoothly over the walls to land briefly on Armando Dippet - who was trying desperately to appear sound asleep – before she looked expectantly to the Headmaster.

"Ah, yes! Thank you, Hargid. I trust everything went smoothly?"

The half-giant nodded, a broad smile parting his beard. "Aye! She arrived just on time. An' she's very polite – all 'yessirs' and 'nossirs'… Not much for chitchat tho'."

He reached out one of his meaty hands and patted her blonde head. She ducked slightly, but her face was a perfect mask of courtesy even as she otherwise ignored her escort in lieu of the bright rhinestones splattered sporadically on Dumbledore's deep blue robes.

"I do appreciate your assistance in collecting her. This is a very…unique…experience for Hogwarts. Having an exchange student, that is."

Severus rolled his eyes at the understatement. Unique, certainly, but unprecedented would have been a little more accurate. As far as the potion professor knew, they had never before been host to a single, foreign student for more than a couple of weeks. If memory served him right, this girl would be less of an "exchange" student, and more of a permanent transfer.

"And I'm sure our new student is tired. It is late, after all, and traveling can be exhausting." Albus chuckled as though something he said was amusing, and Severus was little surprised to see the girl cock an eyebrow in his direction.

Apparently he wasn't the only one not to get the joke.

"Thank you, again, Hagrid. You may go."

Hagrid nodded and turned to the girl, brandishing her with yet another smile. "It was very nice to meet you, little Mary. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around the grounds." He then turned and left the room without waiting for her to reply, the door clicking shut behind him.

She turned, watching the door close, then faced the room once again, looking between Albus and himself.

Severus realized that the contrast between the two of them would be a curious thing for an outsider. Dark and formidable meets garish and eccentric. But if she was surprised, put out, or otherwise feeling any emotion at all, it was well hidden.

_Slythern. _The thought came to him unbidden, and he wasn't sure if he was pleased or not.

Albus moved around his desk to stand between her and Snape, gently patting Fawks on the way. The bird leaned into the touch, but looked infinitely more interested in the new arrival than in his long-time companion.

"Welcome, my dear. I am Headmaster Dumbledore."

She gave him a slight but gracious nod of her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

She then turned her bright, blue eyes towards Severus, blinking up at him.

"Severus…" Dumbledore placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, drawing her even further into the room and pushing her in front of the only other occupant. "This is Mary Smith, and as I'm sure you just gathered from her charming accent, she is of the United States. She is just entering her fourth year, and will be finishing her education here at Hogwarts. Mary, this is Professor Snape, he is our resident potions master."

Snape scowled down his nose at the girl, narrowing his black eyes.

_Mary Smith… a perfectly mundane name._

"Another student?" He drawled, eyeing her disdainfully. "Haven't we enough of those crowding our halls?"

If he had been expecting a negative reaction from the American, he was sorely disappointed. Her lip twitched in a manner that was suspiciously close to amusement, causing his frown to deepen. She said nothing, but she continued to look steadily up at him.

Snape's eyes narrowed all the more. _Quiet but bold_; the latter negated any virtue he found in the former.

Fourth year, he thought as he considered her – eyes roaming quickly across her tiny frame. That would put her at approximately 14 years of age. She could easily pass for twelve.

"I am sure that one more will hardly be a burden. And I dare say," He chuckled merrily, "she doesn't take up much room."

Mary turned her eyes towards Dumbledore and frowned slightly. _So Mary the American doesn't like people commenting on her size_. That was information to be stored for later.

Severus turned towards the Headmaster, ready to dismiss himself - he no longer wanted to be in the room and he had completed what he'd set out to do by informing Dumbledore of his Mark. A new student did not concern him in the slightest. That is, unless his previous thought was correct.

"What house will she be in?" He continued to eye the girl, but addressed the headmaster.

"House?"

Her voice was soft and low, but very discernible. Such a voice should have sounded meek…but hers was nothing of the sort.

"Ah yes, it is a shame you couldn't make it in time for the Opening Feast, however…" Albus spun forcing Severus to step back to avoid being accosted by his ridiculous, blue robes. "I'll be right back. And Severus?" He turned, giving the professor a wink. "Please do refrain from frightening the child. This is all very new to her."

And then he was left alone with the quiet, bold, small and foreign girl.

They looked each other for several long moments and Severus got the distinct impression that he was being appraised as much as he himself was appraising.

Odd behavior for a child. Again the word 'bold' floated to the forefront of his thoughts.

_Gryffindor…_

He snorted, and she blinked, cocking her head smoothly to the side and causing long, silky locks of meticulously combed hair to slide over her one shoulder. Her level stare was beyond intrepid, actually, and he wondered if maybe there wasn't something wrong with her.

Or she was making observations…something Severus himself was known to do anytime he was in a new situation.

"What is it you're staring at, Miss Smith?"

He had meant to come off as intimidating, expecting her blush or, in the least, avert her gaze.

But that didn't happen.

"I imagine I'm staring much for the same reason you are, sir."

Severus reared back slightly. Her tone was polite, and her words weren't exactly discourteous, but something about the flash of her eyes made him wonder if perhaps there was more to what she was saying then he could instantly discern.

And then she smiled; a small, barely there expression, and looked as though she might say something else when Albus burst back into the room carrying the old, ratty and currently slumbering Sorting Hat carefully in his hands.

"Have a seat, my dear." The Headmaster angled his head towards an over-stuffed brown chair and she obliged looking mildly curious as she eyed the rumpled, bit of material.

The Hat was snoring - and loudly - mumbling nonsensical words as dreamers often do.

She ran a hand over her head, smoothing the already neatly secured tresses. "Are you going to put that on my head?"

Dumbledore laughed at the obvious hesitance in her tone, jostling the hat and making it grumble. "Do not worry, Mary. I _am_ going to put it on your head, but I assure you that this hat will not bite."

She cocked an eyebrow at the Headmaster and Severus recognized almost instantly that he shared her expression. He quickly schooled his features.

"That wasn't really my concern." She said, rather mysteriously.

"Oh?"

She shook her head slowly, the ends her hair barely grazing the seat and never taking her eyes off the hat. "It doesn't look…sanitary."

_Smart, _Snape thought, despite himself. _Ravenclaw, maybe?_

That would be acceptable, he supposed, but not likely considering his luck of late.

Dumbledore sat the snoozing hat aside, and perched on the edge of his desk. "This is the Sorting Hat." He explained. "Tell me, at your school in the States, are students separated into different houses?"

Mary nodded, even while her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "There are many buildings on campus, rather than a single structure, including two dormitories; one for boys and one for girls."

"That's not what he means." Severus interjected, but Albus merely chuckled.

"Yes, I don't suppose I did a very good job of explaining myself." Dumbledore rose, heading to his bookshelf and gazed at the various titles before selecting a large, leather-bound tome that Severus recognized well.

"Hogwarts: A History." He said, handing her the book. It looked massive in her tiny lap and she didn't look altogether pleased that it had been laid on her, though Severus wasn't certain what gave him that impression. She didn't look upset or even annoyed. Perhaps he was projecting?

"This will go into more detail, but for the time being…"

He settled once again against his desk, careful not to disturb the hat just yet. "Hogwarts is made up of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Students are sorted into one of those houses at the beginning of their first year, and there they remain throughout their stay at Hogwarts. "

"Like a fraternity or sorority?"

Dumbledore's bushy brows knotted together as he considered her words. "I cannot say as I'm not really sure what that is?" He replied at length.

"No." Severus stepped beside the Headmaster, arms folded into his robes. "Firstly because the houses here are co-ed, the dormitories within are not. Furthermore, one chooses to join a fraternity or sorority and then has to be accepted. This is not the case with house-sorting, and belonging to a house is mandatory rather than elective."

She seemed to think about this, but didn't look convinced, though Severus didn't think it was for lack of understanding. He tried to consider things from the perspective of someone who wasn't used to such a system, wondering if there was a better way to explain, when he suddenly decided that he really didn't care.

Maybe she sensed this, or maybe she simply felt more comfortable with Dumbledore, but she turned away from Severus at that moment and addressed the Headmaster instead. "What purpose does _sorting _serve?"

"I think that would be far too long a discussion for this evening. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore produced a tin, seemingly from nowhere, as his eyes twinkled in merriment. Severus was a little surprised to see Mary frown at this.

Normally children were more than happy to succumb to the Headmaster's cheerfulness – not to mention his sweets - easily forgetting any concerns. Children were trusting like that.

Most children anyway.

But Mary wasn't "succumbing" to anything. And he could almost see the moment where she decided to store away her questions about "purpose" as her hand glided along the cover of her borrowed history book. She would be patient, but Severus doubted this would be the end of the conversation.

_Patience…_How very Hufflepuff.

"How does a hat know which house I should live in? If I'm to be segregated, I would rather the choice be mine to make."

And that was probably the first truly American sentiment he'd heard come from the girl. Thus far her choice in words had been proper, her tone, soft and polite and there had been nothing outside of her accent to indicate any cultural differences. But Americans, no matter how polite and proper, like their freedoms – tend to insist on them, really - including that to choose.

"It's hardly _segregation, _and children rarely know what's best for them." Severus snarked, earning him barely any notice from the girl and a wink from the Headmaster.

"What Severus is saying, my dear, is that when you are young, your choices are often based on current desires rather than what is truly best for you."

"But the hat's judgment is sound?"

It wasn't often that someone truly surprised Severus, but at that moment he had nearly laughed; something that was indeed surprising.

Dumbledore's bushy brows nearly disappeared beneath his hat , and he _did _laugh…loudly enough to wake not only the Sorting Hat, but the portraits as well, at least those that really were asleep. "Yes, well, I can see your concern."

"What's all this ruckus?" Grumbled the Hat.

"This…" Snorted Phineas Nigellus Black, "…is blatant, Gryffindor disrespect."

Mary's eyes roamed from Hat to portrait, curious - amused maybe - but not overly surprised.

"You can always leave, Phineas." Dilys Derwent yawned, but settled well enough back into her frame.

Phineas acquiesced easily enough, slipping from his frame to go wherever it was displaced paintings went, though he was quick to shoot the Headmaster a pointed glare.

"Now you've done it, Albus." Dilys smiled, even as her eyelids drooped. "And, Armando, you're not fooling anyone with that snore. The current Headmaster may be willing to overlook, but I daresay that Severus does not appreciate your lack of discretion and may very well reward you with a turpentine bath."

Armando gasped, before slinking away.

Dumbledore raised his arms apologetically. "I'm very sorry to have disturbed you all…"

The Hat harrumphed, obviously not convinced, just as Dumbledore picked it up to look into what amounted to its face.

"…but we have a new student who needs your assistance."

"And I suppose it couldn't wait until a more reasonable hour?"

"Well, we do need to know where she will sleep."

The Hat considered this, and, as expected, consented easily enough. It could be cantankerous when disturbed, but the truth of the matter was that the Sorting Hat existed to sort, and that purpose was something that it valued.

"Alright, let's do this, then."

Dumbledore rose, bringing the Hat towards Mary when she leaned away.

"How does it choose which house?"

"I read your mind, filter through your attributes - your strengths and your weaknesses - and match you with the house that will best compliment you and you it." The Hat answered for itself. "It is all very important, for being in the right house will do much to shape who you are."

Mary blinked at the Hat, then look between Dumbledore and Snape. She seemed to be weighing them, and surprised Severus once again when her gaze eventually landed on him.

"Please forgive me for saying so, but it has been my experience never to trust sentient objects as their focus tends to be rather…singular."

_Very smart._ He thought again, further supporting her for Ravenclaw, though he said nothing of the sort a loud.

The Sorting Hat, however, did not seem to find her words anything but offensive, and it sputtered in indignation.

"I meant no offense, Hat, but surely you can't deny that you have a single purpose and that little else really matters as far as you're concerned."

The Hat continued to frown, but relented quickly enough with what was probably a shrug, though Severus couldn't really tell considering the lack of shoulders.

"The hat will not harm you." Severus said, cringing as his eyes gazed at the Headmasters old clock. "Consider it a game, a highly unusual personality test or anything else you fancy just so long as we can get this over with."

"Of course I won't hurt you!" The Hat shot, scrunching in on itself slightly.

"And while I don't know how things were done at your old school, I assure you that Hogwarts is _not _a democracy and you have no choice." Severus added when she still made no move to take the hat.

And with that, Dumbledore moved to stand behind Mary, Hat still in hand. Severus half expected her to stop him, but she only sat, staring forward. With hands neatly folded on top of her newly borrowed book and no expression at all on her face, Dumbledore lowered the hat.

Once the hat was settled, it wasted no time getting to work.

"Ah!" It said, all hints of its former irritation gone. "Very interesting…Yes, very interesting indeed!"

* * *

I wonder what the Sorting Hat sees?


End file.
